Ahmedabad (PTI): Tension prevailed at a hotel on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway when around 200 workers tried to prevent police from taking the body of a co-worker who had died from burn injuries after “falling” into a tandoor, official sources said on Wednesday.

“Police had to resort to a mild lathicharge when around 200 workers of Nepalese origin turned violent and did not want the body of 23-year-old Mukesh Bhandari, a tandoor expert, to be taken for post mortem. But the situation was soon brought under control,” an official of Adalaj police station said.

The official said preliminary investigation indicates that Bhandari had committed suicide but results of a detailed probe and the post mortem report were awaited.

However, the hotel workers are not ready to believe that Bhandari committed suicide and say there is more to his death.

The workers were stunned to find Bhandari lying inside the tandoor with his arms upwards.

Tension mounted when the workers refused to give details of the incident to the police even three hours after the incident and demanded that the body remain at the spot till the owner arrived, the police said.

The Adalaj police have registered a case of accidental death.

Blast in BJP legislator’s home

New Delhi (PTI): An explosion rocked the house of BJP MLA H.S. Bali past Tuesday midnight in west Delhi. It did not cause any injuries to the inmates.

The blast occurred outside Bali’s bedroom, damaging the gate and the window panes, at his Rajouri Garden residence, police said.

The police also found a .303 revolver and five live cartridges.

Bali said the blast took place at 1.00 am smashing the window panes. “However, we are safe,” Bali, who was at home when the explosion took place, said.

sked whether he was facing any threat from any militant group, Bali said: “No, I am a political figure and rivalry could not be ruled out.”

The police are yet to come to any conclusion on who could be behind the attack.

Kalyan salvo on commission

Lucknow (PTI): Rashtriya Kranti Party chief Kalyan Singh on Wednesday said the warrant issued by the Liberhan Commission against him was “illegal” and “nobody in the world” can force him to appear before it.

“Under the Commission of Inquiry Act, no commission has the jurisdiction to issue warrants. Therefore, the warrant issued by the Liberhan Commission is illegal,” Singh told reporters here.

He clarified that the commission had issued only a warrant and not a non-bailable warrant as reported earlier.

“We will challenge the commission’s order in the court,” he said. “No commission can threaten Kalyan Singh by issuing warrants,” he added.

NRI deaths case

London (PTI): The two NRI hoteliers who were shot dead by a gang last Friday paid a price for trying to cleanse the area around their east London hotel of drug dealers, police sources said. Amarjit Singh, 52, and his 35-year-old nephew, Raginder, had become well-known for trying to banish drug pushers operating around their hotel in Forest Gate, the sources said. Scotland Yard is trying to find whether their killers were drug dealers seeking revenge.

Health staff sacked

Hajipur (PTI): Thirteen health officials were dismissed from service in Vaishali district after an inquiry found their appointments to be illegal. The 13, posted at various hospitals and dispensaries, were dismissed by district civil surgeon Dr Munni Gupta. The probe found that their appointments were based on forged and fake documents.

Capsize search

Saharsa (PTI): Search continues for about 30 people feared to have drowned in the swollen Kosi river after an overcrowded boat capsized midstream on Tuesday, officials said. Six cattle had been also loaded on board despite protests from passengers, the district magistrate said.

Land dealer shot

Patna (PTI): A property dealer was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Anisabad, police said. The assailants shot Ashok Kumar Singh, who was on a motorcycle, from close range.

Athangaraipatti in Madurai district is model village of sorts. It has 410 rain water harvesting systems and not a drop of water goes waste. The village is administered by a Dalit woman, K. Pappa, who has worked round the clock for this exceptional feat.